Asia Fest 2013: Just One Stop Along the Indianapolis Cultural Trail

Asian American Alliance, Inc. held its 6th annual Asia Fest at the White River State Park in downtown Indianapolis last Saturday. The event lasted from 11am to 5pm and was designed to bring into mass awareness the rich cultural heritage of Asia that exists in the American Midwest, particularly in Central Indiana.

The turnout was not bad for a fringe event taking place under cloudy skies and cooler temperatures. Indeed, it was unfortunate that the weather was not more inviting, since there was plenty to see and do at the event.

Exotic aromas filled the air as over a dozen local Asian restaurants cooked up food on-site from their food tents, with this year’s emphasis being on the Philippines. One such vendor was Eduardo’s Filipino Restarant and Catering, whose recipes included “Longanisa,” a Filipino sweet sausage, and “Empanada,” a deep fried pastry dough filled with chicken, carrots, potatoes, peas and raisins.

Eduardo’s Filipino Restaurant Serves Foot at Asia Fest 2013

There was a traditional costume fashion show which featured the hand-made, dresses and gowns worn by women in the Philippines. In addition, there were various Asian games and activities, merchandise for sale by Asian vendors, a fun McDonald’s Family Pavilion, an interactive cultural discovery, a Bonsai Show at the Conservatory and Sunken Gardens, Anime, an Asian art exhibit at the Garfield Arts Center and even Free health screenings.

Traditional Asian Martial Arts at Asia Fest 2013

Cultural performances featured a traditional Asian dance corps, as well as a lively ensemble called “Fort Wayne Taiko”, which demonstrated the art of taiko drumming, an ancient Japanese musical style in which drums are played with wooden sticks called bachi.